Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 18.1

Chapter 18.1

Shen Qingqing thought she was having a dream. She had just entered the palace some time ago, so she didn’t understand why she was linked with Li Zhi.

“Qingqing, Qingqing…”

Upon hearing her mother’s voice, Shen Qingqing came to her senses.

Mrs. Chen, who was kneeling with others, lowered her head and said softly, “Go and receive the order quickly.”

‘Accept the order?’

Only then did Shen Qingqing recall that the Emperor had just granted her marriage to Li Zhi.

Her body tightened, and she bit her lip.

It had been a while since Eunuch Xuanzhi had been waiting. When Eunuch Xuanzhi noticed how hesitant Shen Qingqing appeared, he coughed and politely reminded her, “Seven Girl, please come and receive the edict. I have to go back to the palace to report it to the Emperor.”

However, Shen Qingqing remained motionless.

Suddenly, Mrs. Chen’s heart skipped a beat. Her daughter’s appearance gave the impression that she was adamantly against marrying Li Zhi. ‘Is it possible that our daughter genuinely desired to enter the East Palace to marry the Crown Prince?’

The Eldest Lady noticed that Shen Qingqing was resisting as well, but she enjoyed the difficulties of the third room. So the more Shen Qingqing resisted the command, the Eldest Lady would persuade her to follow it. “Qingqing, what are you still waiting for? Would you like to defy the order? Would you like to destroy our entire family?”

Shen Qingqing’s eyes filled with tears. She fluttered her eyelashes to stop tears falling down and looked at her mother with her almond-shaped teary eyes.

That helpless and aggrieved look in her daughter made Mrs. Chen’s heart break.

Shen Qingqing averted her gaze from her mother, stepped forward, and raised her hands gradually.

The eunuch who announced the edict placed the rerolled imperial edict in the little girl’s white hands.

After the ceremony, the Eldest Lady smiled and invited the eunuch to go to the hall to drink tea.

Shen Qingqing couldn’t go to the hall, so she didn’t see the happy face of the Eldest Lady. But, upon hearing her smiling voice, Shen Qingqing felt her heart was stabbing with thousands of needles.

Shen Qingqing held the imperial edict and ran towards the third room.

Mrs. Chen couldn’t care about anything and was in a hurry to chase her daughter.

The Eldest Lady glanced at the embarrassed backs of the two women, and the corners of her lips curled up.

When Shen Qingqing ran all the way back to her yard, Yudie and Yuchan were both startled by the sudden appearance of their master. What made them even more frightened was that the master came back crying!

Ms. Chen hurried over, panting after her daughter.

Yudie and Yuchan exchanged a look before standing outside in silence.

As soon as Mrs. Chen entered the inner room, she noticed her daughter throwing herself onto the bed with a cry.

“Qingqing, please listen to mother’s explanation!” Mrs. Chen hurried over to the bed, took a seat, and helped her daughter.

Shen Qingqing buried her face in the quilt and froze, refusing to get up.

Mrs. Chen was perplexed and gave a brief explanation of the entire incident. At last, she uttered helplessly, “Qingqing, two of them… One is a clean person who has been beneficial to you, while the other is a romantic who has many wives and concubines. Do you want to be a concubine of the Crown Prince? Is it why you want to reject Li Zhi?”

“I would rather be a concubine!” exclaimed Shen Qingqing. She didn’t want to marry Li Zhi since he was merciless, self-righteous, and haughty.

“Qingqing, tell the truth to Mother; do you really want to be the crown prince’s concubine?” Mrs. Chen asked, not believing her daughter’s words.

Shen Qingqing didn’t speak. She felt she was in the middle of a tiger’s den and a wolf’s den. She had no desire to go to either of them.

It was then Mrs. Chen realised that her daughter neither liked the Prince nor Li Zhi.

“Qingqing, Li Zhi saved you. Why are you so disgusted with marrying him?” Mrs. Chen asked while looking at her daughter’s teary eyes.

With crimson eyes, Shen Qingqing turned around and said, “How could he have helped me? That day, Cao Xiong held me captive. He, he, he…” Facing her mother’s concerned face, she couldn’t utter more.

First, Empress Shen took a fancy to her as the Crown Prince’s concubine, and then Concubine Chun proposed to her to marry Li Zhi. For the concubine’s sake, Emperor Qingde had already refuted Empress Shen’s favour. Even if her father and grandfather were willing to ask Emperor Qingde to take back his will, Emperor Qingde wouldn’t disappoint his favourite concubine. So if she refused to marry Li Zhi, it would arouse the Emperor’s anger towards them.

Her marriage was conformed, and even if she told the truth about what happened at

Xiaoquan Temple that day, it would have no use except making her parents angry and then self-blame.

Thinking of this, Shen Qingqing cried even more sadly.

“Qingqing, what’s going on?” Mrs. Chen became very anxious seeing her daughter crying like that.

Realising her mother was frightened, she eventually stopped crying and unwillingly came up with an explanation. “I’m only fourteen; he’s already twenty-four, so much older.”

‘Oh, it turned out to be for this!’ Mrs. Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She patted her daughter’s shoulder and said, “Ten is not too far away. The Emperor and the Noble Concubine are considered very old.”

With a pout, Shen Qingqing questioned, “Why should I compare with the concubine?”

“All right, all right, let’s not compare. Besides his age, what else do you dislike about him?” asked Mrs. Chen, immediately following her daughter’s lead.

Shen Qingqing said bitterly, “I don’t like him. He makes me sick when he smiles!”

Mrs. Chen was stunned hearing her daughter’s words. ‘He is a handsome person, and his smile is prettier than that of my husband. How could he be disgusting?’

Shen Qingqing went on. “He’s just an unpleasant businessman. To become wealthy, he relied on his sister. He is very unworthy of me!”

Hearing her daughter’s arrogant words, Mrs. Chen said, “Qingqing, your grandfather controls the Shen family. They have been farming for generations before they were officially recognised.”

Shen Qingqing sat up on the bed angrily. “Mother, does she dislike our Shen family?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” grinned Mrs. Chen as she gave her daughter a hug. “Oh! My sweetheart, tell me the truth. Why don’t you like Li Zhi?”

Shen Qingqing remained silent with her lips pursed. It would be useless to say anything; therefore, she refrained from doing so. “Okay. I’ll just marry him!” Shen Qingqing immediately turned around and dove back inside the duvet, gripping it fiercely with her little hands.

Have a nice day!